Die Linke pushes Bundestag to ban environmentally harmful proof-of-work assets

A German opposition party wants the Bundestag to ban crypto assets it considers ecologically harmful and economically pointless. Die Linke has filed a formal motion calling for a ban on coins that cause environmental damage through proof-of-work mining, along with a sweeping overhaul of how Germany taxes crypto gains. What Die Linke is asking for The motion, filed on May 6-7, 2026 as Drucksache 21/5824, urges stricter regulation and taxation of crypto. Its headline demand is a ban on assets that cause “massive environmental damage due to proof-of-work processes.” The party also wants to ban assets that serve no macroeconomic function and pose systemic risks to financial stability. On energy, the motion compares the footprint of proof-of-work crypto unfavorably to the consumption of entire countries, including Thailand. The tax overhaul hidden inside the ban Under current rules, Germany treats crypto in a way previously compared to assets like gold. Hold a coin for more than one year, and your gains are tax-free. Die Linke wants to scrap that one-year exemption entirely. Instead, the motion proposes treating crypto gains as capital income under Germany’s flat withholding tax regime,...